This invention relates to improved vehicular safety. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus to provide that a vehicle is in a safe, immobile condition when the vehicle is left unattended.
Motor driven vehicles are important means of personal or private transportation. Improving the safety of such vehicles is clearly desirable. One area which has been particularly dangerous and unsafe involves the transmission and gear shift assembly of such vehicles. For example, operators of such vehicles may, through mistake or simply inadvertence, neglect to move the gear shift assembly to the park position prior to leaving the vehicle. In these instances, the transmission is left in gear or, at least, in neutral. The vehicle, whether the motor is on or not, is subject to dangerous, unattended movement in these circumstances. A system to provide that the transmission be left in the park setting is clearly advantageous.
Various devices have been previously disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,992,693 sets forth a device to move the transmission but not the gear shift assembly to the park setting when the operator leaves the vehicle. This device is relatively complex and involves both electrical signals and mechanical connections. In addition since the gear shift assembly is not moved in co-ordination with the transmission, the operator of the vehicle, upon returning can easily become confused as to the actual transmission setting. Serious bodily injury and/or property damage can result from such confusion.
Other references which may be of interest include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,001,618, 3,917,021, 3,939,939, 3,958,658, 3,960,235, 3,939,937 and 4,031,977.
Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus to improve the safety of vehicles.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus useful to immobilize a vehicle when such vehicle is left unattended.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a safety apparatus which will allow the operator of a vehicle to know what the setting of the vehicle's transmission is at all times. These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter.
An improved vehicle safety apparatus has now been discovered. The present apparatus is to be used in automobiles, trucks, vans, recreational vehicles and the like. Such vehicles, are often equipped with a transmission having a plurality of settings, e.g., first, second, third, fourth and fifth gear, reverse, high and low gear, drive, neutral, park and the like. Conventionally, each different transmission setting transmits a different amount of power from the vehicle's motor to the vehicle's wheels. The present apparatus is preferably used in conjunction with vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. The term "automatic" as applied to vehicle transmissions means, in the conventional and broad sense, a transmission which does not require the vehicle operator to employ a separate clutch in order to move from one transmission setting to another. In any event, the presently useful transmissions include a park setting in which the vehicle is positively restrained, e.g., using various conventional means, from moving. Such a park setting is ideal when the vehicle is left unattended.
The vehicles are further equipped with at least one door to permit entrance to and egress from the vehicle by the operator. This door, preferably adjacent to the vehicle operator's position, is normally closed when the vehicle is being operated.
In addition, the vehicle includes a gear shift handle assembly, which is in communication, preferably mechanical communication, with the transmission. This handle has a plurality of positions corresponding in number to and being representative of, the plurality of transmission settings. This handle is moveable by the vehicle operator to select a transmission setting from among the plurality of such settings as desired. Often, the gear shift assembly includes a visual display or indicator which provides the vehicle operator with an indication of which transmission setting is being used.
The present improvement comprises a connecting spring rod means associated with the above noted door, transmission and gear shift assembly and being capable of acting to cause the transmission to move into the park setting, and the gear shift assembly to move into the corresponding park position in response to the opening of the door. Thus, the present connecting spring rod has the capability to cause both the transmission and the gear shift assembly to move to park in response to the opening of the door, e.g., to allow the operator operator to leave the vehicle. Since the transmission and gear shift assembly move in co-ordination, the chances of the operator being confused regarding the true transmission setting are substantially reduced or eliminated. This is a significant advantage of the present invention over certain previous devices, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,992,693 discussed above.
In one preferred embodiment the present connecting spring rod is capable of mechanically acting to cause both the transmission and gear shift assembly to move into park in response to the opening of the door. That is, preferably, the connecting spring rod is mechanically associated with the door, transmission and gear shift assembly so that the transmission and gear shift assembly are capable of being caused to move into the park setting position, respectively, in response to mechanical forces applied to the connecting spring rod, for example, in opening the door to allow the operator to leave the vehicle. The preferred mechanical nature of the present system provides reduced complexity relative to the prior electro-mechanical devices, reduced maintenance, and improved reliability.
Preferably, one end of the connecting spring rod is mechanically secured, or attached to the door, that is, to a component of the door or door assembly which physically moves as the door is opened.
An additional embodiment involves having the connecting spring rod in the form of an expansion spring coil. This feature allows the connecting spring rod to expand or contract to a limited extent. One portion of the connecting spring rod is preferably located adjacent to the door. The use of a spring coil is particularly applicable in embodiment of the present apparatus which further includes a stop located at the end of the connecting spring rod to be capable of intercepting the slotted arm, as it moves in response to the movement of the door. The stop acts to move the transmission and gear shift assembly in response to the opening of the operator's door. In other words, the stop acts to control the amount of movement in the transmission and gear shift assembly in response to the opening of the door. The use of a connecting spring rod is advantageous in this situation because the coils allow the connecting spring rod to expand in response to the further movement (opening) of the operator's door even though the stop assembly prevents further movement in the transmission and gear shift assembly. Upon closing the door, the coils contract and the connecting spring rod is pushed beyond gear positions and is ready for additional use.
Once the present apparatus has moved the transmission to the park setting and the gear shift assembly to the park position, it is desirable to maintain such setting and position. Therefore, the gear shift assembly is preferably associated with a lock which acts to hold the gear shift in the park position and, because of the relation between the transmission and gear shift assembly, to hold the transmission in the park setting. In effect, the lock acts to insure that the vehicle remains in the park position after the operator has left and the vehicle is unattended. Of course, the lock associated with the gear shift assembly may be released or overcome by the operator manually moving the handle assembly to a different, desired position.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the end of the vehicle's gear shift handle is equipped with a pawl which fits into squared slot teeth of the slot assembly which locks it in the desired gear position. The slot assembly is placed on a stationary post associated with the vehicle's steering column. In this design the pawl at the end of the gear shift handle is beveled in one direction and fits into the beveled slots of the stationary slot assembly. When the door is opened, the pawl on the gear shift handle, which is in communication with the connecting spring rod, slides from any gear position to the park position, thus preventing the automobile from moving when the engine is running.
These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the following detailed description and claims, particularly when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which like parts bear like reference numerals.